What’s a parent to do? Part I

It’s often hard to be an Eagle Parent.  Your child won’t tell you much about school. You hate to press.  And yet, you want to know whether or not your Eagle is making progress.

What to do?  Here’s one idea: Use the Contract of Promises (shown below) to ask your Eagle if her Running Partner and classmates would agree that she is living up to her promises.

Press for specific, positive examples and explore ways to improve.  Ask your Eagle to “force rank” which three promises she is doing her “best work” which three she needs to “try something different.”

     Acton Middle School

Contract of Promises

 As an Acton Eagle, I promise to:

  •  Relentlessly pursue my “next adventure,” so I can find my own special purpose for being on this earth.
  • Always do my best work.
  • I promise to hold my classmates accountable and help them on the path to success.
  • Learn from my failures and never give up.
  • Respect others, their choices, differences, and beliefs.
  • Never accept snarkiness, poor sportsmanship, or bullying of any kind.
  • Never give up on myself or my fellow travelers.
  • I further promise to learn something new every day as I gather the tools I will need for later in life.
  • To be positive.  To be curious.  To keep an open mind. To have fun and find joy in daily activities.
  • To be honest and speak the truth, even when it is difficult.
  • To have the courage to be different.
  • To be respectful and treat others how I want to be treated.
  • And to follow through on my promises. EVERY TIME.

I hereby solemnly pledge to uphold these promises.

Signed, this 13th day of September, 2013.

At Acton, the choice of work and pace often are left up to the individual Eagle.  But keeping one’s promises is a non-negotiable part of the learning community.

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